RACING Next Please ‘Loafs’ In Cup Trial

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31579, 17 January 1968, Page 4

RACING Next Please ‘Loafs’ In Cup Trial

The preparation of a robust horse such as Next Please has its worries for a trainer before a testing race such as the Wellington Cup.

Next Please “loafed” in the final three fur* longs of a mile and a quarter trial on the plough at Riccarton ■ yesterday. Mr L. R. C. Macfarlane's promising young stayer lost interest in the gallop from the moment his companion Misjudge started to drop behind after about seven furlongs. Next Please, which was ridden by his trainer. R. B. Taggart finished about eight lengths clear of Misjudge (A. H. Eastwood) and would have!

easily gone faster than 2min 12 2-ssec for the distance if he had had a rival to make him gallop in the straight Next Please and Misjudge ran the opening three fur- | longs in 39sec. ; Next Please took 42sec for the final three. Taggart hopes to give Next Please a testing gallop at Riccarton tomorrow. He believes that Next Please was unlucky when third over a mile at Kumara last Saturday. But he has been encouraged by the help that race and the travelling have been in keeping his great “doer” in trim. Next Please will be flown

i north on Friday with his ’ stablemate, Blind Date, which i will race on the second day of the meeting. Not Tested Shipmaster, a form runner from Riccarton in the Camp Handicap at Trentham, was taken north last evening. Mr A. N. Smith’s big Messmate gelding ran seven furlongs easily in the hands of A. J. Stokes on the plough at Riccarton yesterday. He recorded Imin 36 2-ssec for the distance, the opening four furongs in 55 2-ssec and the final four in 55 l-ssec. Shipmaster has been a model of consistency in his racing from J. C. Tomkinson’s stable, and should measure up at Trentham. The Riccarton apprentice, D. R. Tucker, will ride him on Saturday. FORM RUNNER Cosmetic (R. J. McCann) i led Sleeky Fox (L. Jackson) by two lengths after six furlongs in Imin 18 4-ssec, the last four in 53 4-ssec. After wins at her last two starts Cosmetic will go to Trentham with good credentials for the Pencarrow Handicap. One of the inside barrier positions should also help her in the $2OOO sevenfurlong race for intermediate performers. No rider had been engaged for Cosmetic yesterday. Crepe de Chine (G. R. Gullery) and Arabian Princess (G. Lewin) sprinted five furlongs on the plough in Imin 4 2-ssec, the last four in 51 2-ssec, the final three in 38 2-ssec. P. H. Jones will take Crepe de Chine to Trentham for the Fitzherbert Handicap on Saturday. Time and Tide has injured a foot and has beeh scratched from the Anniversary Handicap at Trentham.